Sunday, February 22, 2009

Being a Good Knitter

I'm shivering in pain right now. While it has a little to do with the cut on my finger (go-go washing knives stupidly), it mostly has to do with what I've got soaking in the sink right now: a gauge swatch.

I'm not a huge fan of the gauge swatch, but I understand its importance in making things the right size and all that. I even knit them occasionally, but then I rip them out so I can use the yarn. I never ever actually wash the swatch or anything.

I know I should, of course. But in a project like a scarf, it doesn't really seem to matter.

Of course, I want to branch out from scarves, though scarves are absolutely lovely. In fact, my Christmas yarn has been taunting me lately, saying "Don't buy anymore yarn! Knit with us! Please?" And I've been putting it off, saying "I don't have a project for you yet! I don't have the right size DPNs! I have to finish other stuff first!" But that's not fair to those yarns. Almost two months they've sat in my stash, waiting patiently for me to get my butt in gear and do something with them, and that's what they deserve. Today I bought appropriately sized DPNs for them and decided to start with the Iro. I'm going to make fingerless mitts/gloves (I haven't decided yet) with them, and that kind of necessitates having a good idea of your actual gauge. You know, that whole "they need to fit around your hand" thing and all.

(I just took it out of the sink! This is final! Holy crap.)

So ... I knitted a cheating gauge swatch (gotta love the mock circle gauge swatch), bound it off, snipped the yarn (do you have any idea how long I debated with myself whether or not to actually go through with it?), pulled it through the last stitch, and tossed it in the sink with some Eucalan.

It's drying on the bookshelf. I think it's a good thing I won't be able to measure it until morning. I'm sitting here kicking myself. What if it's like, two stitches to the inch? What good does that do me? Then I'll have to buy new needles and waste more yarn trying to get it to a gauge that'll work for my pattern. Why the heck didn't I measure the gauge before I snipped the yarn and merrily tossed it in the sink to grow twelve sizes larger? God, I'm an idiot.

I'm sure I'll be fine, of course. It's probably this painful because it's my first time, and when I make mitts that are actually totally awesome because I took this time and effort, I'll be quite thrilled. And if I have to do it again? Not a huge deal. I've got small hands. I won't need a ton of yarn. And if I do? Oh well! Not the end of the world. Yarn pretty.

(I'm going to sneak off and measure it right now. If it's a huge sucess, I'll be back crowing it to the rooftops. If it's a failure, you will not hear from me for several days while I sulk. I consider this fair.)